This invention relates to special purpose computers and more particularly to an electronic digital computer for adding and subtracting compound denominate numbers, specifically lengths denoted by feet, inches, and sixteenths of an inch.
According to The World Book Encyclopedia, copyright 1961, volume 4, page 120, a denominate number is a "number with a name". Further, it is said that "many denominate numbers contain irregular subdivisions", and "a denominate number which contains two or more irregular subdivisions is called a compound denominate number". "Such compounds are more difficult to add, subtract, multiply, or divide, because the subdivisions must first be changed or reduced to the same denomination or unit of measure before these operations are performed".
It is an object of the present invention to provide a specific computer for directly adding and subtracting compound denominate numbers, more particularly denominate numbers comprising feet, inches, and sixteenths of an inch, without the necessity of first converting same to a common unit of measure. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description thereof.
Applicant is aware of an apparatus which is believed to have appeared on the market subsequent to his invention which provides for the addition of numbers including common fractions of any selected denominator. This is to be distinguished from the present invention in that it does not handle fractions of fractions and requires the actuation of denominator as well as numerator keys, and requires use of plural numerator keys for numerators in excess of nine, there being only numeral keys 0-9 on the keyboard.